Swinging to the Moon
by Hope Night
Summary: Nine year old Harry Potter sitting in a park after dark meets a strange man in a blue coat. Little do they know that it’s not going to be the last time they will meet…far from it actually. Companion piece to Ianto Jones or Harry Potter?


**Disclaimer: **I don't Harry Potter nor do I own Torchwood. Though I wish I did.

**Spoilers: **Nothing really. I mean you can check out _Ianto Jones or Harry Potter? _ Because that's what this fic is kind of based off of.But it really isn't that important to this plot. Still check it out if you want too!

**Plot:** Nine year old Harry Potter sitting in a park after dark meets a strange man in a blue coat. Little do they know that it's not going to be the last time they will meet…far from it actually.

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_'Childhood should be all about swings.'_ –Angela from Bones

'_Fate has a way of circling back on a man, and taking him by surprise.' _–Edward Bloom from Big Fish

'_Only those who look with the eyes of children can lose themselves in the object of their wonder.'_ –Eberhard Arnold  
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Captain Jack Harkness left the tiny inn that he was staying at. You think for an international organization UNIT could put him up in a nicer hotel. He was going to kill Alex when he got back for making him do this stupid thing. Still the inn was warm; the coffee delicious, and the old lady that ran the place was sweet. Still there was absolutely nothing to do in Little Whinging, Surrey. Jack was feeling the boredom so he decided to take a walk and enjoy the clear, starry night.

Jack wandered through the streets. Barely anyone was out that night and it was quiet. In Jack's often chaotic life, he learned to appreciate the rare moments of quiet. He knew that they would be broken up by moments of action and raw emotion. Sometimes when you're immortal the quiet moments were the ones you appreciated. It meant that all was right in the world.

He looked around the area he ended up in. It scared him. Tidy, neat, cookie cutter, and perfectly trim were each and every house. There was nothing to break up the monotony of the neighborhood. It was too normal, mundane, and worse _suburbia_. Give Jack the urban life over anything because the suburbs scared the shit out of him.

He spotted a small park and made his way over to it. He had way too much time to kill until the first of many torturous meetings for UNIT. Did he mention that he was going to KILL Alex when he got back to Cardiff?

Then he saw a small figure on a park bench. It was a child. Jack quietly made his way over to the kid.

"Hi."

The kid looked up startled by the voice. Jack was startled by the kid's eyes. He had the biggest, widest, greenest eyes he had ever seen. And he's seen a lot of eyes from many different species and people over the years. This boy's eyes took the cake. The boy stared at him as if trying to decide whether he was trustworthy or not. Jack smiled kindly and the boy gave a tentative smile back.

"Hello, sir," whispered the child. Jack sat down on the bench next to him.

"Are you lost, kiddo?"

The boy shook his head. Inky black hair that hadn't been cut for a while tickled the young boy's cheeks.

"No, sir. I live at Number 4. Since I'm nine I can go out after sunset on my own for a little bit."

Jack frowned slightly at that but quickly fixed a smile back on his face. The kid kept on looking up at the stars.

"Amazing aren't they?"

"Yes, sir."

"You don't have to call me sir. My name's Jack."

The young boy with the too bright green eyes locked his eyes with Jack.

"I'm Harry."

Then Harry turned up and stared at the stars. Jack watched him for a couple more moments. Then he spoke softly,

"Can you just imagine being surrounded by all those stars?"

Jack remembered a time when he actually was surrounded by all those stars. Harry hugged his knees to his chest and rested his chin on them. Harry murmured,

"One day I want to go up and see all those stars up close. It feels like I've been asleep for a long time."

Jack looked at the kid, "How old are you?"

"Nine but I'll be ten in two months."

"You're pretty philosophical for your age."

Harry shrugged his shoulders and resumed his staring at the stars.

"Just observant I guess, Jack."

Jack looked at the kid before him. He reminded him of a way that scared him slightly. He was nine when Gray was taken. He was nine when began to look at the world as an observer. He was nine when he realized that he felt like he was asleep for most of his life. He was nine when he all he wanted was a dream of his once happy and loving family.

He never really concerned himself with most people out of Torchwood. Still something deep inside him stirred. Something awakened that made Jack _want_ to see the boy, not quite a teenager but not quite a small child, happy. He looked at the swings and smiled.

"Y'know it feels like forever since I was on a swing."

Harry looked back at Jack, who was making his way over to the swings. He sat there and watched in amazement as the man sat down on the swings. Harry did not know what to make of this adult. He liked labels. He liked to make sure that everything was ordered in his world.

He watched the man who defied his labeling system swing like he was Harry's own age. A small carefree grin broke over the older man's face. The nine year old slowly got up from the bench and made his way over the swings. Jack cracked open an eye and smiled as Harry got on the swing.

The nine year old and the immortal both swung like if they jumped off of the swing they would land on the Moon. Jack couldn't remember the last time he felt like a child. Harry couldn't remember the last time he hadn't felt like a freak to the world. No words were needed between them

It was a pretty good night for both of them. Afterwards when Harry ran off to go home; Jack realized that he did not know Harry's last name. He sighed and walked back to his hotel. Jack was certain in the knowledge that he would never see the boy again.

Well he was half right.

He did meet Harry again except he changed his name to Ianto Jones. He opened Jack's eyes and made the world a much better place to be in. Suddenly there was someone there that Jack could love. That the immortal could spend eternity with…

Ianto was happy because he could shed his destiny. He could separate himself from his past while lying in Jack's arms at night. This immortal could definitely spend eternity with the brash American captain.

Sometimes though when work felt like it was too much. Jack and Ianto would sneak off to the nearest playground. Together they got on the swings and swung like if they let go they would land on the Moon.

During these times the weight of the world was not on their shoulders. No during these times they were both nine years old and their futures laid out before them in a long winding twisty road. But those two roads led to each other.

And that's all that everyone really needs right?

**H.N.:** Sorry I just had a plot bunny in my head. It's a one shot. But I hoped you all enjoyed it! Chapter 19 for IJ or HP? will be up as soon as I write it! Thanks for reading!


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